Yes, This Is How We Celebrate Back Home
by Wolf-Shadow's-Ghost
Summary: Teyla knows what Christmas is she’s celebrated it with her earth teammates for two years. Yet, every time it comes around, everyone starts to sing strange songs, and John seems to be the strangest of them all. Christmas Sheyla fic, Rating for swear word


Disclaimer: I own nothing of Stargate, because if I did, John and Teyla would have gotten together back in season 2, also, Jack and Sam would be married and have at least one kid by now.

Hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!" the words to the traditional earth carol streamed down the cool corridors of Atlantis, the voice somewhat off key. "Oh, what fun it is to ride a Jumper in the bay!" the improvised version sounded sarcastic, as if the singer was both celebrating Christmas while complaining about something that had happened to him recently. "Through the walls we go, because someone's brain's too small."

All of the Atlantis personal he pasted, from scientists, to military, either gave him looks of reproach or, more commonly, amusement.

"Sir?" A voice behind him made him stop singing and turn to look skeptically back.

A young marine with bright red hair and hazel eye was watching him with raised eyebrows and a small smile. "You do know that's not how the song goes, right sir?"

He smirked and tilted his head to the side. "Of course I do Captain, but I figured we're in the Pegasus galaxy, it's time for some new traditions." He turned around and resumed his walk, calling over his shoulder. "And if someone happens to mess up a perfectly good jumper, well, it's their fault that our new songs aren't as _kind_ as the old ones."

The red head smiled confusedly at his back, figuring that one of the scientists had something to do with his song.

"You'd better watch out, take a different route, you'd better go fly, I'm telling you why, the Wraith are coming, to Atlantis." The notes fizzled inharmoniously through the ancient city as he walked, hands deep in the pockets of his dark jeans and chest thrown out, striding proudly through the many snickering people.

* * *

The sound of wood hitting wood clattered around the mostly empty room, mingling with the shuffling of feet.

"Good, Ronan, your blocking technique is showing signs of improvement." The tall woman flipped the short bantos in her hands as she watched her opponent move.

The man set one foot over the other as he waited for her to make a move, dark eyes narrowed, his thick dreadlocks darkened with sweat, his face tight in concentration.

In one swift movement, she twirled her body around, bringing both sticks above her head and back down to strike at his side. He barely had time to bring up his own weapons before she struck them with a sharp CLACK.

The dark skinned woman moved fluidly, quickly dropping down as he aimed at her head then pressing the Banta against her arm in a bock of his second downward swing. The man quickly slashed at her side only to have her slide away and thump his knee.

Ronan jumped back, hopping up and down on one foot, and growling low in his throat. He placed his foot back on the ground and glared at the smaller person.

A smug smile crept over her features, as she stood straight. legs slightly apart and knees bent. "If you wish to discontinue-" she was cut off when he gave a wild war cry and charged at her.

She waited until the last moment, poised on the balls of her feet, then, just as he was bout to overtake her, slipped off to the side and aimed a strike at his exposed back. Her brown eyes went wide with surprise when he twisted his arm and blocked her attack, his speed caught her off-guard just long enough for him to swivel around and land a blow to her side.

She staggered slightly, but it was enough for him to take a chance. Ronan took a step forward and aimed a kick at her side, only to be surprised when his foot only hit air. He came down hard and landed off balance, if just for a moment, but a moment was all she needed. He felt a foot thud heavily with the small of his back, and the giant man fell forward in an ungraceful heap.

For a short moment, he just lay on the floor, breathing in the sent of cold stone. Then he moaned and rolled over onto his back, his dark eyes blinking up at the ceiling. Feeling a shadow pass over him, he quickly held up his hands and closed his eyes.

"Teyla, enough, enough!" Ronan said, shifting so that only his side was exposed to his opponent.

His movement, as good as a surrender where Ronan Dex was concerned, was replied to with a soft laugh.

A warm smile on her elegant face, Telya reached out a hand to her fallen teammate and helped him to his feet. Her light brown top laced tightly on the sides, accenting her soft curves, and her short pants showing off her muscle bound legs.

Ronan shook his head as he bent down, panting, hands on his knees. "Hell of a move, Telya." He pushed himself up and went to retrieve his fallen weapons. "You'll have to show me how to do that."

She shook her head as she placed her own Banta's inside of her gym bag and picked up a clean towel. "Some other time perhaps, I have work that must be finished before the days end." She carefully patted her face free of sweat as Ronan grabbed his own towel. "But I am impressed Ronan, your defense skills have improved greatly."

He grunted as he tossed the towel carelessly over his shoulder, and then shrugged as he waited for her. "I kinda had to, Sheppard's been getting a lot quicker." He threw her a cocky smirk as she looked up in surprise. "Got tired of getting hit I guess, he almost beat me a couple of times."

She blinked at him a couple of times before straightening up, wiping her hands on the damp towel. "John as been showing signs of… improvement?" she glanced off to the side thinking about what he had said.

Ronan gave a quick jerk of a nod, his lose white-brown shirt darkened in places where his sweat ran.

Teyla frowned and shook her head. "Yet, when we spar, I see no major advancement. Yes, he is better than he was two years ago, but I still defeat him easily."

Ronan grinned in an annoyingly understanding way, folded his arms, and leaned forward just slightly. "Want ta' know what I think?" She merely raised an eyebrow in response. "I think he likes you beating him." He was pleased to see a faint flush darken her cheeks, just before she threw her towel at his chest.

"I do not see any reason why John would intentionally lose to me, he… has great pride." She replied, catching the towel as he threw it back to her.

"Then you're the only one who doesn't see it." He didn't move as Teyla aimed a halfhearted punch at his upper arm.

She had slung her bag over her shoulder and opened her mouth to give him a quick-witted response when a strange noise caught her ears.

"What is it?" Ronan asked looking somewhat unconcerned. She held up a hand to silence him.

"Hark to the bells, sweet silver bells!" a voice swept down the passage outside, in spite of the fact that it didn't sound perfect, the words were still pleasant.

Frowning slightly, Teyla walked to the door and swiped her hand over the crystal,.then glanced up and down the hall. She turned back around and looked at the puzzled Ronan. "I could have sworn that I heard-"

"Deck the halls with balls of holly, fa la la la."

Ronan's eyebrows went up and he tilted his head to the side. "That sounds like…"

"Fa la la la, la la!"

Teyla had just enough time to turn back around to see Colonel John Sheppard stroll passed the gym door, hands in his pockets and singing songs that other members of the Atlantis personal had been singing for the past two week. Teyla quickly recalled the holiday that most earthlings celebrated, but couldn't quite remember all the details that Colonel Sheppard had told her the last few years.

He walked swiftly down the hall and out of their view, never glancing into the gym, too engrossed by his own singing.

"Sheppard?" Ronan said aloud, confusion thick in his voice.

"John?" Teyla called as she walked to the door. Her brown eyes just caught the corner of John's elbow as he disappeared around a bend; he was humming loudly and seemed completely deaf to her call.

She quickened her pace and heard Ronan follow behind her, both of them interested in what was going in with their 'honorable' leader.

"Frosty the snowman, was a holly jolly soul, he was made of snow, but the children know-" It didn't take the Athosan leader long to catch up to the Colonel, but he didn't even seem to notice as she fell in step behind him, tilting her head as she listened to his words. Ronan was just a step behind her, but, interested in what John was singing, Teyla held up a hand to keep the ex-runner quiet.

"Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you'd even say it glowed."

It was impossible for the non-earth dwellers to understand any of what Sheppard was singing, and while they knew most of the words, the order he used them in didn't make any cohesive sense. His beat also changed at every other sentence, making it hard for Teyla to believe that the words were all one song.

She felt Ronan pull closer to her as Sheppard walked through one of the brightly colored doors of the city, humming slightly.

"What the hell is Sheppard singing about?" Ronan whispered in her ear, staring after their CO in uncertainty.

"I am unsure, but I do not know if he will tell us if we ask." She twisted her head around to look at the tall man. "I thought perhaps we would learn more if we see where he is headed."

Ronan shrugged and fell in step behind her again. The trio earned many strange looks from passing personal, first staring at the singing Colonel, then, catching sight of the other two members of SGA-1, watching the two in bewilderment as they quietly followed John to wherever he was going.

It didn't take them long to figure out where John was going, as he headed down many familiar hallways and pointedly ignored all the usual places he would be found on a day off.

"Why is he headed to Rodney's lab?" Ronan's soft whisper was so unexpected that Teyla jumped a little. She twisted her head around to give him a 'keep-silent-so-we-can-see' look while Sheppard continued to sing of a Silent Night.

The quickening thud of feet made Teyla turn her head back around. John's voice had diminished into a loud humming as his feet had began a slow jog, the dull thump of his feet keeping time with the tune.

Feeling more and more foolish as the strange scenario played on, Teyla quickened her pace while still trying to keep silent. Normally, she would have stopped John and simply asked him what was going on, but his behavior the last week had been strange even for him, and she was determined to figure out why, even if it meant following him all over Atlantis.

It took only fifteen minutes for the strange group to reach Dr. MacKay's lab, Sheppard alternating between singing and humming the entire way. Teyla watched John skid to a halt in front of the lab's door then run his hands jovially over the crystals.

"Hey MacKay!" he called as he trotted into the room, hands back in his pockets and grey tee-shirt rumpled.

Ronan quickly positioned himself in the doorway just enough to see into the room while keeping the door from closing. He leant against the frame as Teyla took a small step into the room.

"Not now, Sheppard." Rodney said with impatience in his voice. The Canadian man was sitting opposite the door, his own dark blue shirt reminiscent of the sea with its many waves and dips. He sat hunched over a microscope, his light brown hair atop his head as deranged and wispy as straw. Somehow he looked much smaller than normal.

"Ah, come on, buddy." John said in his normal teasing manner, walking around a small table littered with scientific equipment until he stood next to Rodney. "I just came to give you some Christmas cheer." He turned around and leaned on the table, folding his arms over his chest. "And to inform you that the next time you need someone to pilot a Jumper experiment, you can get someone else to do it."

Rodney's head snapped away from the grey microscope. "Oh, don't tell me," he said in a whiney way. "Zelenka didn't reverse the power couplings did he?"

John's only response was a raised eyebrow and a tilt of his head. Teyla had to suppress a smirk as she mentally heard him say, 'How should I know? I'm just a pilot.'

Rodney groaned and stood up, dark pants nearly as unkempt as his shirt. "I told him again and again, if you want to boost the power output, the couplings have to be reversed." He ran a hand through his hair then tugged at his shirt. "Oh, the idiot probably fried the control board, now I've got another Jumper to fix on top of my already huge workload."

Teyla's eyebrows went up and she shared a bored look with Ronan. Not only had they both heard a lot of MacKay's 'issues' the last half month, it now seemed unlikely that they were to learn of what their earth-native team mates meant when they sang of Christmas. Teyla vaguely recalled that the original meaning of the holiday had been to celebrate the birth of a holy messiah, but had somehow become a day to exchange gifts as a show of love. She glanced at Ronan who shrugged, stating clearly that he had less of an idea of what was going on than she did.

Rodney's whiny tone when on as he made over exaggerated motions with his hands. "I was hoping to go home and see my sister for the holidays, but no, I can't because I've got too much to-"

"MacKay!" John cut him off with the commanding tone he reserved for occasions when people annoyed him. "Calm down, I'm sure everyone here on Atlantis can handle themselves for few weeks." He pushed himself away from the table and shifted his weight from side to side. "Besides, I didn't come here to listen to you whine."

Rodney huffed and crossed his arms. "Then why are you here? I have a lot to get done, so if you could just get it-"

"Let's see if you know this one," John cut him off and took a breath. "Frosty the snowman!" he sang, smirking widely as Rodney rolled his eyes. "Was a holly jolly soul!"

Teyla knew what a snowman was; John had explained the concept over one of the meals the team had shared, but she was unsure how a creature made of three large balls of snow could have a soul. She shifted her gym bag into a more comfortable position and listened anyway.

"He was made of snow but the children know-"

"Sheppard, I don't see how kid's Christmas carols will give me anything more than a headache." Rodney interrupted the song with a wave of his hand.

Teyla could see John smirk as he leaned forward just slightly. "Because MacKay, if you're going to get along with your niece, you're going to have to remember some of the best Christmas songs."

"Oh, pardon me if I don't go around singing childish songs like big idiot," Rodney shot back, though everyone in the room could see the flicker of uncertainty in his light eyes.

"Ah, come on MacKay, everybody around here needs a little pick-me-up, and Christmas is a great excuse." John was grinning in his charming way that always made Teyla smile.

"Need I remind you that not everyone celebrates Christmas?" Rodney pointed out with a haughty air.

John shook his head "No, but you do, and that's the point." The point of trying to get MacKay to sing anything was a mystery to the two eavesdroppers, but both were finding the situation funny enough not to care.

How neither John nor Rodney had spotted them in the doorway was a puzzlement, but neither were going to question their good fortune

"All right, I'll sing once. Then will you leave me alone?" The scientist glared at the military man as he tried to strike a compromise. He folded his arms across his chest and stood up as straight as he could, clearly trying incite a standoff.

"Fine, but I get to choose the song." John's smirk was triumphant. Not at all confrontational, either he had missed Rodney's challenge or he had chosen to ignore it.

Rodney let out an irritated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

John tipped his head, clearly thinking about the best (or most humiliating) song for Rodney to sing. Then he grinned a grin that could only be described as evil. "Jingle Bells." He stated with finality, green eyes sparkling with mischief.

Rodney's frown deepened. "That's it? Well, that's easy then." He pulled in a quick breath of air, and was just about to sing-

"The Batman version of Jingle Bells."

Rodney visibly deflated at Johns words, giving him a look that clearly said. 'What?'

Teyla furrowed her brow. If she recalled correctly, Batman was a fictional 'Super Hero' of earth, one that traveled a city by night, stopping criminal behavior and saving lives. He also happened to be Rodney's hero, so why did it seem that making Rodney sing a song about his hero was some form of entertainment?

She glanced at Ronan, who shrugged, probably wondering the same thing she was. A moment later, they both realized why.

"Jingle bells, Batman smells!" Rodney blared out, obviously not putting any effort in the singing. "Robin laid an egg!" the Canadian unfolded his arms and both Teyla and Ronan were shocked to see that he was grinning slightly as he insulted his hero. "Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker got away, Hey!"

John frowned and tilted his head, looking unamused. Rodney's expression of enjoyment was obviously the last thing he had expected to see.

"You sounded just a little too happy singing a song that makes fun of your super hero." John's voice was suspicious, and he was leaning forward just slightly as if to see if Rodney was playing some kind of trick on him.

Rodney jerked his head in the fashion that meant he felt he was victorious. "I know, weird isn't it?" he turned around in time for Teyla to see the satisfied smirk on his face. "That song used to bug me as a kid, everybody on the school bus would sing it just to annoy me."

John raised one eyebrow, clearly not seeing where this was going, or why.

"But, like a good genius always does, I found out a way to beat them back." The Canadian man moved back to the microscope, then started to type furiously on his computer keyboard.

Sheppard blinked and looked down at Rodney. He ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated manner, making the sharp black spikes more unruly than usual. "Uh, How?' he asked in a nonplussed voice

Rodney looked around then jerked his head. "Oh, well you know, I figured that if my hero was good enough to have a song, then it shouldn't bug me." He shrugged. "So I started to sing along with everyone else and eventually, they got bored of it."

"Oh, well in that case," John's grin returned and his eyes narrowed till he was practically leering at Rodney. "Let's sing it together."

Rodney quickly looked up, somewhat panicked. "What?" he asked quickly.

"Yea, come on buddy, if you're going to be singing with your sister and niece, why not get some practice in?" Teyla could tell John was completely enjoying torturing the

scientist.

Rodney had just caught on to it. "You're doing this just to annoy me aren't you?" his tone was both whiney and irritated at the same time.

John tilted his head. "Now why would I want to do that?"

"Because you're you." Rodney's statement was as accurate as any could get. "All right, just once, then you'll leave me in peace?"

John nodded, smug "Cross my heart, I'll just go find Ronan or Teyla, I'm sure they'll be more interested in Christmas songs."

They could see Rodney roll his eyes, and heard him mumble. "Ronan would probably throw you out a window, though I'd bet money that Teyla would actually start singing with you."

Teyla felt her face flush, and she turned her head away, only to see Ronan giving her an annoyingly triumphant grin. She glared at him.

John must have felt the same for she heard him say. "What's that supposed to-"

"Jingle bells!" Rodney quickly cut him off, and both occupants of the doorframe were surprised to see him jig a little as he sung.

John quickly jumped in… and started to dance around crazily as well.

"Batman smells!" they called, Rodney bobbing his head from side to side and John tapping his feet in an odd manner.

"Robin laid an egg," they seemed to be trying to mimic each other's movements in some strange dance routine.

"Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker got away, Hey!" At the final word, they both made motions of finality, John throwing his arms in a wide arch above his head, and Rodney throwing his arms out to the side.

The whole ordeal had been strange enough, but the final image of the two of them singing and dancing to such a ridicules song was too much for Teyla to hold in, she let out a soft strangled laugh even as Ronan gave a low chuckle.

Both men jumped and looked at the door. Obviously startled to see them, Rodney's face paled and John flushed lightly.

"Um, how long have you two been there?" John asked, trying to regain some composure as Rodney turned a glare on him.

"Long enough." Ronan said as he stepped into the room, grinning.

"We heard you singing and became curious, many of the personal of Atlantis have been singing similar songs, and we thought we might gain some insight if we followed you." Teyla said as she followed Ronan, laughter in her voice.

John's face slipped into an accusatory frown. "You two were following me?" when both of them nodded his frown deepened. "You could've just stopped me and asked what I was doing."

"And miss the two of you dancing around like idiots?" Ronan folded his arms and grinned an annoying little grin. "Don't think so."

"Ah," Rodney stepped forward and raised his hand in the air, "I'd just like to point out that it was Sheppard's idea, and not mine." Rodney turned a glare on his CO, "You dragged me into that childish game and look what happened," he made a long sweeping gesture at Ronan and Teyla. "They're probably never going to let us live this down."

"Nope." Ronan's expression spread into a wolfish grin.

"I must say, I knew earth customs were strange, but that was, 'just plain weird' as you might say." Teyla walked closer to her team mates, glancing between the two uncomfortable earthmen.

"Well, that wasn't really a, uh," John looked to Rodney who only glared at him. "It wasn't a 'custom', McKay and I were just fooling around with a kids song."

"I don't get it," Ronan suddenly spoke up, his grin replaced by a confused frown. "If the songs were supposed to be about 'Christmas', why would it mock the 'batman' person?"

"Oh, well, you see, it's the kids version of 'Jingle Bells'." Rodney jumped in, apparently very glad to change the subject. "Because, you know, kids like to mess with everything."

He scooted around John and quickly sorted a few papers into a neat pile, then typed a few more things on the laptop before closing the top down. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a good deal of packing to do before I leave for earth."

The brown haired man started to walk past the table and toward the door, Sheppard was faster.

"Whoa, hold on there buddy." John said stepping in front of the scientist, all signs of discomfort evaporating as his devilish grin returned. "You can't just leave without having a good-bye meal."

Rodney paled. "It's not like I'm leaving for good, and I'm not even leaving today. There's no need for-"

"Sheppard's right." Ronan interjected, startling the rest of the team. "One last meal together before you leave, isn't it an earth tradition?"

"Yes!" John said loudly just as Rodney yelled "No!"

Ronan snorted at the two conflicting answers and was about to open his mouth to respond when Teyla jumped in.

Smiling at the two earthlings, she said calmly. "Tradition or not, I would enjoy a team meal together before you leave for earth, Rodney." She tilted her head to the side and shifted her gym bag. "I believe you said you would not return for a few weeks?"

There was a short pause in which Rodney's mouth opened and closed "Well, that may be true, but, ah, I have a lot that needs done between now and when I leave, so if you would just-"

"Not a chance, McKay." Ronan interrupted. "One more team meal before you leave for vacation isn't going to kill you."

"Sorry Rodney, three against one," John threw Teyla a warm smile, which she returned without hesitation. "Now, I have to stop by my quarters for a quick minute," he glanced down at the gym bags Teyla and Ronan still sported, "and it looks like you two will want to drop those off, so" he clapped his hands together, grinning around at them all. "Let's meet at the mess hall in," he glanced at his watch, "Ten minutes, sound good?"

Ronan jerked his head, still grinning at the memory of the two dancing around the room. "Yea, I'll see you guys there." He turned and headed towards the door, but paused in the hall and looked back. "Sheppard,' he said conversantly.

John's looked up at Ronan, and Teyla had to suppress a laugh his look of sudden unease. "What?" he asked cautiously.

Ronan's wolfish look returned in earnest. "You dance like your hair is on fire." and with that, the Ex-Runner slipped out the door.

Teyla couldn't help but laugh lightly at the statement, but quickly sobered up at John's somewhat reproachful look

"I wasn't that bad." He mock grumbled in her direction, folding his arms and putting on a sour face.

Teyla shook her head, smiling at him. "I found your dancing to be most unique," and when John snorted she added, "and the song was very intriguing."

"And that's alien for, 'you both looked like total morons'." Rodney snapped as he passed by John. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things that need to be done before I'm dragged off to lunch." He practically stormed from the lab, throwing John one last withering look before stomping into the hall.

Her eyes completely focused on the 'mad scientist' Teyla had not noticed John moving toward her. She jumped as his voice sounded suddenly beside her.

"He'll get over it,"

Her brown eyes looked up at his face, which was still trained on the door. He lifted his shoulder slightly. "He acts like the Grinch about Christmas, and then he gets into a funny song that makes him dance," John looked down at her, his light eyes meeting her dark ones. "I'd guess he doesn't like anybody to think he still enjoys something as unscientific as Christmas."

When her expression became bemused at his explanation, he chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind," he gestured toward the door, grinning cheekily at her. "May I walk you to your door?"

His antics never failed to improve her mood. His charming smile, coupled with his friendly eyes and accepting manner made it easy for her to trust him without hesitation. "You may." was her short answer.

Together, they walked from the lab and started towards the living quarters of Atlantis, idle conversations punctuating the comfortable silence between them.

A thought suddenly struck her and she turned her head to him. "John, could you perhaps explain what a Grinch is?"

He surprised her with his loud laugh. "You mean that after two Christmas' here on Atlantis no one has ever explained who the Grinch is?"

She raised her eyebrows at him even as she smiled. "No, is it of great importance?"

He shrugged. "Well, I don't think Christmas is quite complete without the green Santa man, stealing all the presents and reminded us that gifts aren't the whole point of Christmas."

Teyla blinked and glanced at the floor before looking back up at him. "Gifts aren't the whole point of Christmas?" she asked, very confused.

He stopped walking to give her an incredulous look. "Are you serious?" and when she furrowed her brow in confusion, he shook his head and gave her a bemused look. "I'm going to have to explain the whole idea of Christmas to you again." Her poked her upper arm and grinned teasingly. "Since you've forgotten everything."

Her mouth fell open in protest while the smile remained on her lips. "That is not true, John!" she shoved him backwards so hard he almost lost his balance. "There are many conflicting ideas of what Christmas is, it is difficult for one not of earth to remember everything."

"Yea, I guess that's true, after all, the shiny ornaments can confuse the alien mind." John laughed as he dodged Teyla's playful punch, ran around her and fled down the hall. "Doesn't really matter if you remember or not, Santa's still got a big lump of coal for bad girl Teyla!" he called back at her as she chased after him.

"I seem to recall quite clearly the mistletoe incident last Christmas John!" she yelled at his retreating back, smile still in place.

The only answer she got was his charming laughter.

* * *

Authors Notes: This is my first Stargate Atlantis fan fic, so if anyone has any advice I'd be grateful to get it. It'd also be nice if you just posted your overall option of the story itself. Love it? Hate it? Think I could have done better? Tell me what you think.

I know I'm cutting it pretty close to Christmas, but the last few weeks have been really busy for me, so I just now got time to finish this out. I hope you enjoyed my little story, and that you have happy holidays!


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